Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the description of the Louisiana Federation for Children. The organization is not a union. It promotes educational choice.
Calling for change: The Baton Rouge Area Chamber is among a group of seven Louisiana chambers of commerce and business associations calling for criminal justice reform. Along with the Broussard Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Southwest Louisiana, Crowley Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce and One Acadiana, BRAC released a Statement of Principles supporting reform on Friday. The document says the state “should consider safe alternatives to prison and implement programs proven to reduce the likelihood of committing new crimes and increase the likelihood of future employment.” It was delivered to the Justice Reinvestment Task Force, a bipartisan group charged with recommending changes to reduce Louisiana’s high incarceration rate.
Celebrating choice: The Louisiana Federation for Children, a proponent of educational choice, is hosting a number of events this week in conjunction with National School Choice Week. Local events begin this evening with a 6 p.m. kick-off celebration at the Jones Creek Library, 6222 Jones Creek Road. A school celebration will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday at Redemptorist Elementary School, 3655 St. Gerard Ave. Events in New Orleans will also take place later this week. National School Choice Week, which runs through Saturday, aims to raise awareness about the educational options available for children. Get more details on local events.
Going up: Initial unemployment insurance claims for the week ending Jan. 14 increased to 2,877 from the previous week’s total of 2,708, according to the latest data from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. For the comparable week a year ago, 3,485 initial claims were filed. The four-week moving average, the less volatile measure of claims, increased to 2,382 from the previous week’s average of 2,322. Continued unemployment insurance weeks claimed for the week ending Jan. 14 decreased to 23,365 from the previous week’s total of 23,574. Continued weeks claimed were below the comparable figure of 23,891 for the week ending Jan. 16, 2016. Read the full report.
